Secret number one: when we food allergy types cook, we don’t want our non-food-allergy friends and family to even notice we’ve omitted our allergens. And believe it or not, we want to forget about our food allergies for a little while, too.
Secret number two: we really want to knock your socks off!
That’s right. Want chili so good that it might help you forget who won the Super Bowl? (Perhaps it depends on the outcome?) But, we do, too! So, how about some %$@! good chili?!
Oh! And the smoky little secret that it takes to make that happen? Well… you have to read down to find out. 😉
%$@! Good Chili
2 lbs. ground beef, preferably grass-fed if you can get it
1/2 large onion (or 1 whole small) diced
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes (just plain, no basil or any other flavors)
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 Tablespoons chili powder
1/2 jalepeno, seeded and diced fine (this won’t make it spicy… the heat is in the seeds)
1 tsp each of onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika
2 Tablespoons smoky bacon fat* (<—- there it is!)
salt and fresh-cracked pepper to taste
For moderate heat chili: add another 1 Tbsp of chili powder
For intense heat: create moderate heat chili and add the whole jalepeno, seeds and all, chopped fine
If you like beans in your chili, add a 16 oz can of dark or light red kidney beans (or both!) – delish!
Directions:
In large deep skillet or stock pot, brown ground beef until half-cooked through. Add onions and continue cooking until beef is cooked through and onions are translucent. Add remaining ingredients and add 2 cups water. Simmer until seasoning is well-blended.
Oh… and next time you pick up a package of some yummy applewood-smoked bacon (nitrate-free if you can) and you fry it up for breakfast, do what your grandma did and save the grease! We put ours in the refrigerator until it hardens and then portion out small pieces of it in the freezer like this… you know, for things like !@% good chili! 😉
It’s not pretty… but the result is delicious. This stuff melts in the chili like butter. And if you can’t have diary butter, have bacon “butter”! Yummm!
Don’t forget the tortilla chips!
Safe Eats 